Improvement in seeding-machines



c. E. STLLER.

Grain, Drill.

No. 37,465. Patented. Jan. 20, J863.-

N.PEERS, PNOTO-LITHGRAPHEK WASHINGION, D C.

UNITED STATES ATENT Orrrca O. E. STELLER, OF GENESEE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEEDlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 37,465, dated Jannary :20, 1863.

T0 aZl tchom zt may concern:

Beit known that I, O. E. STELLER, of Genesee, in the connty ot Wankesha and State of \Visconsin, have invented a new and Improved Seeding-1\achine; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figre 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of my invention, the plane of section being indicated by the line w .70, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken in the plane indicated by the line 3 y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial transverse vertical section of the same, the plane of section being indicated ny the line 2 2, Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are detached plan views of the slides used for distribnting diffrent kinds of seed.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate correspondingparts.

The object of this invention -is to constrnct a simple and effective seeding-machine capable of sowing seeds of difierent kinds-snch as barley and oats, wheat and r5e, or timothy and clover, or other small seedseither in drills or broadcast, or to plant corn in newly-cnltivated or in old land, as may be desired, and whioh can be drawn along with a comparatvely small power.

The invention consists inthe arrangement of a rotary cylinder, with several rows of difterent-sized adjnstable seed-cells, in combination with and close under a transversely-adjnstable slide provided With several rows of openings corresponding to the seed-cells in the rotary cylinder in snob a manner that hy the motion of said cylinder close under the openings in the slide the discharge of the seed throngh said openings into the seed-cells is facilitated; and, furthermore, by chan gin g the position of the slide anew set of seed-cells can be bronghtinto operation and the distributing device adapted to larger or smaller seed,

as occasion may reqnire.

othy or clovercan be sown simnltaneonsly -from the same machine.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed t0 describe its construction and operation with reference to the drawings.

A represents a frame, made of tiinber or any othcr snitable material, and provided in front With rollers B, which may form a part of the longitudinal timbers of the frame, as clearly represented in Fig. 1 of the drawings, or which may be attached to the frame in any other (lesirable manne'r. The rear part of the frame A is snspended from the axle 0 of two wheels, D D. The axle passes throngh the distributing-roller E, and one of the wheels, D, is rigidly connected to the axle, whereas the other wheel, D, turns loosely on the same. By the motion of the wheel D a rotary motion is imparted to the roller E, and at the same time by attaching the wheel -D loosely to the axle the machine can be tnrned easily and without and ne strain to any of its parts.

V The roller E is inclosed in a box, F, and il:

is provided with two or more rows of seed-,

cells, a b 0, of difterent sizeone to plant corn, one to distribnte barley and oats or wheat and rye, and the last to' distribnte timothy and,

clover seed. Each of the seed-cells is furnished with a screw-plng, d, the head ot which The diflerent rows of seedcells are arranged on difterent circles on the circnmference of the roller, so that the cells of one of the rows are sitnated on circles between those of the other rows, and a slide, G, or G, or G*, serves to admit the seed from the hopper H into either one or all the seed-cells orto shnt it off from the same at pleasnre. Said slide is inserted between the box F and hopper H, the bottom of the latter being constructed of two triangnlar strips, c, inserted so as to condnct the seed from the hopper toward a central crevice, f, extending throngh the whole length of the hopper. The roller E moves close under the slide G, G, or G*, and by its motion a clogging of the holes or apertnres in the slide is prevented, and at the same time by the edges of said holes or apertnres any surplus seed is swept from the seed-cells and the distribution of the seed is rendered nniform.

The slide G, Fig. 4, is provided with two rows of holes, b c, corresponding in size and position 130 the seed-colis b 0 for rye, wheai, and grass seeds, and the slide G, Fig. 5, is provided With a slot, a, extending through the whole length of the hopper, and with two square apertures, a*, near to the ends and corresponding in position to the extreme circle of seed-cells a. The slot a and apertnres (0* are in snob relation to each other that either the one or the other can be brought under the crevice in the bottom of the hopper, and that when the apertures a* come into operation the slot a is covered 'by one of the triangnlar strips c, and no seed is permitted t0 escape from the hopperexceptthrough saidapertures, and vice versa. The slot (1/ is brought into use for sowing oats and barlcy or similar seeds, and as the roller rotates under the slide the seed readily drops into the cells b, the cells c being too small to receive the kernels.

For planting corn the apertures a"* are bronght in nse,and the edges of the apertnres are protected by india-rnbber strips a so that tbe kernels are not liable to be injured when canght between said edges and the edges of the correspondingcells,a,in the roller E. The corn which drops into these seed-cells is retained by a semicircular guard, g, Fig. 1, wbich encircles one-hait of the oircnmference of the .roller, and it is not permitted to escape from eilherof said cells nntil the latter are bronght in an inverted vertical position.

The slide G Fig. 2, is used when il; is desred to sow two kinds of seed of diffrent sizesnch as wheat and timothy-and in order to affect this Imrpose said slide is provided with a series of holes, b* 0*, of difierent size arranged in one row, the holes b* to correspond in position to the cells I) and the holes 0* to the cells 0 in the roller. Secondary hoppers or tubes, H*, are inserted into the holes c* between tlie holes b*, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and it the main hopper, H, is filled With wheat and the secondary hoppers, 11 with timothy-seed the cells I) take and distribute the former and the cells c the latter seed, and both kinds ot seed are distributed simultaneously.

The slides G G are adjnsted in the desired position by pins h passing throngh different holes in anns 72 i, extending from the slides, and through holes in lugs j, projecting from the rear side of the box F, and by bringing said slides in the proper position either set: of seed-cells may be brought in operation, or the seed may be ont off altogether. The slide G* is retained in the working position by the secondary hoppers, H*, and by pins h passing throngh the ends of said slide and into the lugs j.

The seed on being discharged from the seedcells drops on the distribnting-board I, Whicl1 scatters the same, and which is used when it is desired to sow broadcast. This board is not nsed when the seed is to be sown in drills or bills.

The ground is opened and prepared for 1eceiving the seed by suitable cutters and furrowing-shares, and after the seed is deposited on the gronnd it; is covered up by ooveringshares or any other snitable device, and the gronnd is leveled by a drag or harrow.

It is desirable to attach all the implements required for opening the ground, distribnting the seed, and covering it up when deposited to the same trame, so that the horses have not to tramp over the ground again, one operation being sufficient t0 affect the desired result.

Having thus fnlly described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of one or more transversely-adjustable slides, G G G"*, with two or more sets of holes or apertnres, I) o a a*, in combination with the seed -distributing roller E, rotating close under said slide or slides, and provided with adjnstable seed-cells a b c,all constrncted and operating in the man- .ner and for the pnrpose set f0l'tll.

2. Thearrangementofthe secondaryhopper, H*, in combnation with the main hopper, H, slide Gr*, and seed-distributing roller E, constructed and operating as and for the pnrpose specified.

U. E. STELLER.

\Vitnesses H. A. STELLER, 1 G. TYTHERLEIGH. 

